Congratulations! You have been invited to an interview. You are excited and now it is important to prepare for the interview.

How are you going to answer this question?

Tell me about your strengths and tell me about your weaknesses

Plan to share 3 or 4 of your skills (strengths). It not enough to mention them; give examples of how you have used them in your work or if you are still in college, how you use them for projects, co-curricular organizations or activities.

Think about “for example stories.” Here is what it might sound like. I have excellent leadership and problem solving skills; for example, during my junior year in college I was on a   research team.  We had a challenge agreeing on the specific parameters of the project. I suggested that we have a strategy meeting and allowed each participant to share their perspectives. I listened and reflected what I heard and we were able to come up with a compromise project. In the end, we were able to get the project finished on time and we received an “A” for our research.

Be sure to demonstrate your skillsets and connect them in the best way you can to the requirements of the position for which you are interviewing.

The strengths (skills) are the easiest part of the question. Now to the “weaknesses.” It is important to avoid canned responses such as, “I am a workaholic” or another response that is overused or not necessarily authentic for you. It is important not to mention a “weakness” that is a critical component of the new position. Strategize and think about a skill that might be a little less than stellar, but you are working to improve it.

For example, you may feel a little less confident with public speaking. Tell your interviewer how you are remediating this “weakness.” Perhaps you have joined Toastmasters or you have enrolled in a public speaking course at a local adult education program.

You might want to say, I have certainly made presentations, but get a bit anxious about this part of my work. “My goal is to feel less anxious and to be able to present my work in a way that is very understandable and engaging for the audience.” You can even give a timeframe for accomplishing this.

I hope this helps you as you prepare for your interview. Let me know what you think. If you have other questions, feel free to reach out to me. Look for my next blog on Winning Strategies for Closing the Interview.